well i have a coolermaster cpu cooler and, it came with a thermal pad i'm using it for about 9 months already. but i'm not sure if its cooling it that well. i brought a ventec heatsink that came with there thermal paste. should i put some thermal paste between the cpu and fan or should i put more thermal pads. i ahve a 2.53p4 ghz thnk you

The way you apply the thermal paste is more important than the type of thermal paste itself. You want a maximized direct contact between the heatsink and CPU because the best heat conductor is metal to metal, while get rid of air pockets in surface defects such as machining marks or uneven surface. Lapping the heatsink is always a good idea to ensure better heat removal. A thick layer of thermal paste is not a good way to do it. As for the brand of the paste, you probably won't see too much of a difference in performance.

Shawn is correct...thermal paste brand is not as important as proper application. Arctic Silver's instructions are excellent & should be followed regardless of what brand paste is used: http://www.arcticsilver.com/arctic_silver_instructions.htm